A system for inhibiting and providing access to appliance control knobs includes a support structure for mounting individual control knobs or groups thereof, and an actuator assembly for extending and retracting control knobs either individually or collectively.

An input apparatus for a vehicle includes: a knob rotatably disposed in a plate; a driving device allowing the knob to protrude from or move downward into the plate; and a switching mechanism movable disposed to surround an outer circumferential surface of the knob protruding from the plate and disposed along a circumference of the knob moved downward into the plate.

The present invention relates to a cooling device (1) comprising at least one compartment (2) wherein foodstuffs desired to be cooled are placed, at least one door (3) providing access into the compartment (2) and a push-release type knob (4) that is situated on the surface, facing the inner volume of the compartment (2), of one of the compartment (2) walls, that enables the compartment (2) temperature (T) to be changed by the user and that has an active position wherein the temperature adjustment is performed by rotating the knob (4) and a passive position to which the knob (4) is changed by being pushed when the desired temperature value is set.

An input apparatus for a vehicle includes: a knob rotatably disposed in a plate; a driving device allowing the knob to protrude from or move downward into the plate; and a switching mechanism movable disposed to surround an outer circumferential surface of the knob protruding from the plate and disposed along a circumference of the knob moved downward into the plate.

A system for inhibiting and providing access to appliance control knobs includes a support structure for mounting individual control knobs or groups thereof, and an actuator assembly for extending and retracting control knobs either individually or collectively.

When a rotation start position of a rotation shaft 132 is a middle start position 31a (i.e., when rotation of the rotation shaft 132 is stopped in the middle and the rotation is restarted), target rotational speed (relative target rotational speed) is defined using a relative pattern 31 that uses the middle start position 31a as a reference, without using an absolute pattern 33 that is defined using a normal rotation start position 33a as a reference. Upon detecting that a condition that absolute target rotational speed corresponding to an angular position detected by a rotation sensor 134 is greater than the relative target rotational speed is not satisfied, motor control is switched so that the absolute pattern 33 is used.

An elevation mechanism for a central input selector knob includes: a cylindrical cam having two cylindrical rails; a central input device mounted on a slider cylinder having two opposite ends of a pin that run in the two cylindrical rails to move the central input device between an operation position and a storage position; a cap that has two opposite guiding ribs configured to slide into rails of a main housing, the cap being attached to the main housing such that the slider cylinder is enclosed by the main housing and the cap; and a motor having an axis where a second gear is mounted, the second gear being configured and arranged to transmit movement to a first gear thereby causing the slider cylinder to move thereby moving the central input device between the operation position and the storage position.

A selection controller for manual selection of an operating mode and/or operating characteristics of an audio control device is disposed within an interior of a vehicle. The selection controller includes a selector element that is designed to allow a user to make the manual selection. The selecting element can be arranged at least in a first position that is not elevated from a control surface of the audio control device and in a second position that is elevated from the control surface of the audio control device.

An apparatus for controlling a vehicle includes a vehicle state detector for detecting a vehicle state, a function unit that performs at least one vehicle function, an operation unit that enables a transmission operation to allow selection of a transmission stage from among a plurality of transmission stages, and a position adjusting unit to switch the operation unit between a first position where the transmission operation is disabled and a second position where the transmission operation is enabled, by rotating the operation unit with respect to the functional unit, based on the detected vehicle state.

A control knob for a motor vehicle is described, the former comprising a rotor that can rotate around an axis; a fixed body; a member; and an actuator selectively movable between a first configuration, in which it allows said rotor and said member to rotate relative to the body around the axis, and a second configuration, in which it exerts a braking torque upon the member; a first element and a second element interacting with one another, in a snapping manner, in a plurality of consecutive positions, when the actuator is arranged in the first configuration, so as to provide a first touch-related feedback; the knob comprises a third element, a profile extending crosswise to the third element; and a fourth elastic element connecting the third element and the profile to said rotor; the third element, the fourth elastic element and the profile can rotate together with the rotor and the member in an integral manner, when the actuator is arranged in the first configuration; the third element slides on the profile to provide a single second touch-related feedback, when the actuator is arranged in said second configuration.